Gift Cards

A man was arrested Monday night after he allegedly drove his vehicle into a fire hydrant, police said. Officers responding to the crash allegedly found several fraudulent gift cards in the driver's pockets. Police found Edmound Nasiri, 26, of Glendale at about 6 p.m. in the driver's seat of a white utility truck, which was atop a broken fire hydrant that was leaking water onto San Fernando Road and Sonora Avenue, according to Glendale police reports. Nasiri, who had allegedly smoked a narcotic and was feeling sick, was unable to get out of his truck, police said.

Two Hollywood men face multiple charges of theft after they allegedly bought $100 gift cards at the Target in Glendale using stolen credit card information, officials said. Arthur Darbinyan, 21, and Alik Dzhanoyan, 20, were charged with five counts of theft of access card information, three counts of identity theft and two counts of second-degree commercial burglary, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint. Their bail was reduced from $290,000 to $100,000 Tuesday in Superior Court.

The death of a Glendale mother of six children last month struck a chord with city workers and local property owners who have since donated $600 in gift cards to help the family buy food. The donations were a welcome reprieve for the siblings, ranging in age from 7 to 19, because their mother, Rosemary Rodriguez, was receiving state assistance and their stepfather buses tables at a local restaurant. The eldest siblings, Juan and Reynaldo Fuentes, sought jobs to help out but haven’t had any luck.

LA CRESCENTA — The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department collected 71 firearms and distributed $7,400 in supermarket gift cards Saturday at the Crescenta Valley Station as part of a countywide program that aims to get guns out of homes and off the streets. Dozens of residents participated in the anonymous, drive-through exchange that saw gun owners surrender firearms in return for $50 and $100 certificates to Ralphs supermarkets. Those relinquishing assault weapons received $200 gift cards.

GLENDALE — Alexa Moreno finished her school shopping under budget, so she returned to scour the aisles of Target on Tuesday, looking for more back-to-school supplies. She found a dolphin binder, which she said would be among the more critical items when she begins her first day of school in fewer than three weeks. "I got a lot of stuff, a lot a lot," the Edison Elementary School first-grader said. "I wanted lots of things because I like school and shopping. " By the end of the day, the Glendale Galleria Target had donated at least $2,550 in school supplies and clothes.

Generosity and cooperation teamed up to help needy kids buy new clothes, shoes and supplies in Glendale Tuesday morning. The sales spree was a result of a partnership between Target and the Salvation Army in which the national retailer provides $1 million in gift cards to 12,000 children. Volunteers took the children shopping to help them obtain what they needed. Each participant was given an $80 gift card to spend in one hour at the Glendale Galleria. On Tuesday, 31 kids, aged 5 to 16, shopped with firefighters and members of Kiwanis, Rotary and L'Oreal clubs.

The following incidents were taken from police reports. Intersection of Colorado and Adams streets: A 42-year-old Glendale man was arrested Monday on suspicion of assaulting his 26-year-old girlfriend in her car. The man allegedly choked her and told her that if they broke up, he would shoot her. 5600 block of San Fernando Road: A 39-year-old Apple Valley man was arrested Monday on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine....

Darleene Barrientos Some of the soldiers who fought in Iraq have not come home yet, and Glendale Fire Department wants to help out their families. Teaming with Los Angeles County Fire and the Sheriff's departments, Glendale Fire is asking for clothing, diapers, international telephone cards, gift cards, nonperishable items and cash donations for Camp Pendleton families in "Operation Freedom Support." Glendale's nine fire stations are accepting these items.

The National Charity League Ticktocker Class of 2016 was honored for its commitment to the women and children in the YWCA Domestic Violence Program during the Character and Ethics Awards Ceremony in February. The Character and Ethics Project is based on the philosophy that individual self-improvement produces a better community, and everybody benefits. The committee gets together three times a year and chooses a handful of people to be recognized, said President Patrick Campbell.

We have a gun violence problem in our nation and need to take steps to eliminate the problem, but canceling the Gun Shows at the Civic Auditorium will be merely symbolic. It will not stop a single person from legally buying a gun. May I suggest that the city take the rental revenue from the gun shows, $54,000 last year, leverage it with local merchants and fund a citywide gun buy-back program with merchant gift cards. This will immediately take guns off the streets of our community, making it safer, and stimulate sales with our local merchants.

Glendale Memorial Hospital employees on Wednesday delivered gifts at Cerritos Elementary for 28 families who would otherwise go without presents this holiday season. Forty-seven hospital departments spent the last two months buying gift cards, food, clothing and toys, spending from $300 to $500 on each family. “Many of the departments decided to forgo their office party or gift giving for each other,” said Bonnie Butler-Sibbald, manager of volunteer services for Glendale Memorial.

Generosity and cooperation teamed up to help needy kids buy new clothes, shoes and supplies in Glendale Tuesday morning. The sales spree was a result of a partnership between Target and the Salvation Army in which the national retailer provides $1 million in gift cards to 12,000 children. Volunteers took the children shopping to help them obtain what they needed. Each participant was given an $80 gift card to spend in one hour at the Glendale Galleria. On Tuesday, 31 kids, aged 5 to 16, shopped with firefighters and members of Kiwanis, Rotary and L'Oreal clubs.

Five men were charged Friday with multiple counts of identity theft after they allegedly used re-encoded credit cards to buy and resell gas for profit, police said. The men - Norik Tergalstanyan, 45, Arman Karapetyan, 24, Andranik Tashchyan, 57, Allen Babakhanian, 19, and 48-year-old Ruben Petrosyan - were named in the 17-count Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint, which included felony identity theft and grand theft of access card charges for allegedly stealing personal bank account information belonging to 13 victims from Washington state.

A man was arrested Monday night after he allegedly drove his vehicle into a fire hydrant, police said. Officers responding to the crash allegedly found several fraudulent gift cards in the driver's pockets. Police found Edmound Nasiri, 26, of Glendale at about 6 p.m. in the driver's seat of a white utility truck, which was atop a broken fire hydrant that was leaking water onto San Fernando Road and Sonora Avenue, according to Glendale police reports. Nasiri, who had allegedly smoked a narcotic and was feeling sick, was unable to get out of his truck, police said.

Two Hollywood men face multiple charges of theft after they allegedly bought $100 gift cards at the Target in Glendale using stolen credit card information, officials said. Arthur Darbinyan, 21, and Alik Dzhanoyan, 20, were charged with five counts of theft of access card information, three counts of identity theft and two counts of second-degree commercial burglary, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint. Their bail was reduced from $290,000 to $100,000 Tuesday in Superior Court.

The volume of Christmas decorations, food and gifts in the lobby at Glendale Memorial Hospital surged Wednesday as staff members stopped by to contribute to the heap. But the items were not meant for an internal holiday party - rather 25 Cerritos Elementary School families too poor to celebrate the season without assistance. “Whatever you have, you recognize how much others don't and it just makes you feel a little bit better about aiding and assisting in the community,” said Michelle Galanti, an exercise physiologist.

A Glendale florist and his wife pleaded not guilty Monday to multiple charges for allegedly stealing bank information from their customers to buy Visa gift cards at Target stores that they later redeemed at their own store, officials said. Vahik Ghookasian and his wife, Hilda, both 60, face 14 felony counts of identity theft for allegedly buying $1,900 in Visa gift cards at Target stores in Glendale and Burbank with account information from two Glendale residents who patronized Daisy Florist, on the 1400 block of Glenoaks Boulevard, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint.

A Glendale florist was arrested at his hillside home Thursday for allegedly using bank account information stolen from his customers to buy $1,900 in gift cards at Target stores in Glendale and Burbank. Vahik Ghookasian, owner of Daisy's Florist on the 1400 block of West Glenoaks Boulevard, allegedly bought the cards - which can be spent anywhere like pre-loaded debit cards - and then “purchased” items from his own store to pocket the money, police said. Glendale police detectives and Secret Service agents - experts in financial crime investigations - served search warrants just after 7 a.m. Thursday at Ghookasian's home on the 1600 block of Ridgeview Drive.